Weekly scripture and prayer

By Tracy Jessup

Published: Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 10:39 PM.

However, as valuable as diversity is to the body of Christ, diversity is not the purpose of spiritual gifts. Paul writes, “To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (v. 7). Again and again, Paul brings us back to the good of the community in which Jesus Christ is ever-present and uniquely expressing himself in and to the world.

Tracy Jessup is vice president for Christian Life and Service and senior minister to the university at Gardner-Webb University.

THIS WEEK’S PRAYER: Lord, my life would be worthless without you. Use the gifts you have given me to enrich the faith of others and bring honor and glory to your name.

THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURE: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.” —- 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Perhaps you have seen the internet teaser for an upcoming feature-length documentary called Landfill Harmonic. It is about a “remarkable orchestra from a remote village in Paraguay, where its young musicians play with instruments made from trash” (www.landfillharmonicmovie.com).

The young musicians all come from Cateura, a slum that’s built upon a landfill; the 2,500 families who live there survive by separating garbage for recycling. A 2010 UNICEF report about this slum notes that more than 1,500 tons of solid waste arrives each day. Illiteracy is rampant there, and Cateura’s youngest inhabitants are often the ones responsible for collecting and reselling the garbage. The water supply is very dangerously polluted; on rainy days, the town floods with contaminated water. “A violin is worth more than a house here,” says Favio Chavez, the orchestra’s director and founder.

In the midst of such an existence, these musicians have created something both special and truly awe-inspiring. “My life would be worthless without music.” says one girl in pigtails…”People realize that we shouldn’t throw away trash carelessly,” says Chavez. “Well, we shouldn’t throw away people either.”

The Apostle Paul begins chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians by reminding us of our life apart from Christ in which we “were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak” (v. 2). Our new life in Christ is inspired by the Holy Spirit as our spiritual landfill is transformed to a place where individually and corporately we are enabled to embody God’s presence in a variety of ways, but always pointing to the truth that Jesus is Lord.

There is diversity both of people and of gifts, none of which should be elevated to a position of supreme importance above the others and none of which should be thrown away carelessly. Paul affirms the value of diversity as a resource to be utilized rather than an obstacle to be overcome.

However, as valuable as diversity is to the body of Christ, diversity is not the purpose of spiritual gifts. Paul writes, “To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (v. 7). Again and again, Paul brings us back to the good of the community in which Jesus Christ is ever-present and uniquely expressing himself in and to the world.

Tracy Jessup is vice president for Christian Life and Service and senior minister to the university at Gardner-Webb University.

THIS WEEK’S PRAYER: Lord, my life would be worthless without you. Use the gifts you have given me to enrich the faith of others and bring honor and glory to your name.